- Scotland - the birth place of whiskey, the telephone
and penicillin. And in 2010, to backpack and travel
accessory company Trakke. Hey everyone!
It's Nathan from Pack Hacker.
And in this video, we're going to be taking a look
at the Trakke Storr, a 30 liter pack that's been
handmade in Scotland from super durable
and high quality materials. And the best thing is
it's being made specifically for one bag travel
which is what us here at Pack Hacker are all about.
So if you're new here, please consider subscribing.
So without further ado, let's jump into this
Trakke Storr review.
[upbeat music playing]
The Trakke Storr carry-on backpack features a
minimalistic design and simple aesthetic
that we really like the look of.
Trakke has somehow managed to design a bag
that not only looks beautiful, but also rugged
and ready for adventure, which is some achievement.
The style of the pack will work with most outfits
and environments too, which is a bonus for traveling.
The branding on the Storr is subtle and discreet.
You'll only find one logo on this pack,
a delightful Trakke word mark with a handmade
in Scotland proudly emblazoned underneath.
This pack is available in five colors -
Olive, Black, Crottle, Navy and Plum.
In truth, we'd be happy with any of the color options
but we went with Plum for this review,
and we're actually really happy that we did.
When do you get to rock a purple
backpack that actually looks good?
Purple is a bold color for a backpack,
but we're happy to report that this particular
shade works really well in practice.
It's a nicely subdued dark and moody purple
much like all of their other colors.
When it comes to materials, Trakke certainly hasn't
cut any corners. And in fact, it's something that they
take very seriously, which we really like to see
especially from a bag that places
itself at the higher end of the market.
Back in 2011, they were using Cordura
but came to the conclusion that it was boring
and it just doesn't have much soul.
So they went searching for something else.
Over on the Trakke website, they sum up their quest
beautifully by saying: "We always knew that we wanted
to make our bags in the UK - so it seemed crazy to
import materials from overseas.
Instead, we looked closer to home.
We were searching for materials that were strong,
durable and timeless. Materials that had a track record.
A history. Some heritage. And we found them.
We discovered waxed canvas - a cloth that was
developed by Scottish Fishermen in the 1800's."
At this point we would usually chalk this up
as a bit of marketing spiel.
However, we're really feeling Trakke on this one.
And we dig the thought process behind the decision.
And just the brand ethos as a whole.
Canvas is typically heavier than other popular
bag materials on the market, like polyester and nylon.
So you wouldn't be crazy to think that the waxed canvas
used on the Trakke Storr would make it a little bit
heavier than other packs available.
Surprisingly, the Storr weighs in at only 3.1 pounds,
a pretty average weight for a pack this size.
The waxed cotton canvas on the Trakke Storr
is also highly water resistant and when it comes
to water resistance, Trakke didn't stop just there.
Because every zip that you're going to find on this thing
is a YKK AquaGuard on the outside and also on
the inside of this pack. And on this inside
is that same waxed cotton canvas found on the outside
but this time it's with that dry finish.
And what that means basically, is that the Trakke Storr
is waterproofed or at least highly water resistant from
the outside and also the inside - which is crazy to think!
We actually emailed Trakke to ask about this
and they came back to us and said that they
just wish to over spec the whole of the Trakke Storr
and with those features and those benefits,
they certainly have done this.
But of course, here at Pack Hacker,
we had to put it to the test.
So we went outside, absolutely drenched this
thing in water for a good couple of minutes
and came back to find that it passed with flying colors.
No water got inside whatsoever.
Now rounding off the materials used on the Trakke Storr,
you'll find stainless steel clash hooks on the
shoulder straps which are sourced from within the UK
and forged from 70% recycled steel.
There's some polyester webbing that's expertly sewn
around the pack to create the handles.
And finally there's some Molle
on the left hand side of this thing.
[upbeat music playing]
The Trakke Storr is designed for simplicity and therefore
doesn't have too much stuff going on externally.
They've only included external components
that they believe will stand the test of time
and won't compromise the pack's integrity.
Starting with the harness system - the shoulder straps
feature some pretty dense foam padding which
will provide you with an overall comfortable carry.
There are a few things to note
with this harness system though.
You're not going to find any load lifters,
a hip belt or even a sternum strap.
Considering this bag is only 30 liters,
there isn't a real necessity for a hip belt
or a sternum strap. And in testing we didn't miss them.
However, we did find that this bag can sit quite
far away from your back, especially if you have a smaller
frame. And we feel that load lifters would help a
fair bit here with improving the carry bringing the
top of the pack closer to your back and shoulders.
Hideaway harness systems tend to be hotly debated.
You either think it's unnecessary or a vital inclusion.
But Trakke has been able to create a system that
works seamlessly without being a hindrance
if you don't want to use it.
And if you didn't know about it in the first place,
you might not even realize that it's even there.
The Trakke Storr features two handles -
one on the top and one on the right hand side.
These look and feel like they're going to last a lifetime
and while this is great, you do lose a tiny bit
of comfort due to the lack of any padding.
We would've liked to have seen a bit of padding on
these handles but in all truth,
you're not going to be using them for any length of time.
After all, this is a backpack that's
designed to be worn on your back.
There are also a few accessory attachment points
found on the exterior of the pack.
First up - there is a D ring located on the top left
of the pack which is designed for your luggage tags,
or anything else you want to clip on.
Next up - you'll find some Molle on the left-hand side.
This Molle can be used in conjunction with their
Molle lashing straps which provide a system through which
you can attach certain accessories,
like the Laggan Travel Accessory pouch
to the side of the pack.
However, you do not have to limit yourself
to Trakke's Molle products here.
The Molle is primarily designed to make the side of
the Storr a versatile tool that
you can attach whatever you'd like to.
Some of you are going to love the versatility that
this Molle provides. However, we suspect
there's going to be some people that will complain
about the lack of a standardized side water bottle pocket.
So we're going to leave whether you like this or not
up to you and your use case.
Finally, as we've previously mentioned,
every zip on the Trakke Storr is a YKK AquaGuard 5CN.
We love the decision here from Trakke choosing one of the
most water resistant zips available on the market.
Additionally, each zip features a bright orange zipper pull
that we think looks pretty cool and it will help you
easily open the pack whenever you need to.
[upbeat music playing]
The Trakke Storr features a long diagonal zippered pocket
on the front of the pack. And this is for your
quick-grab items - like your passport, any chargers
you may have, a wallet maybe - and it is enormous and stretches
nearly all the way down to the bottom of the pack.
You may think that this is great, but in practice
we found it to be a tad problematic.
If you want to store your small quick grab items
like your passport in this pocket,
you're going to be fishing around to find it most of the time.
We would've loved to have seen a smaller, additional quick-
grab pocket somewhere on this pack.
Now it's time to open up this pack all the way
via it's full clamshell opening
and check out the main compartment.
You'll be struck straight away by Trakke's
vivid bright orange interior.
Now it may be a little bit off putting at first.
But this really helps kind of turn the lights on
inside of the pack, and it's really easy to see
exactly what's going on inside of it.
On the left hand side are two zippered compartments
for smaller items that would otherwise get lost
in a larger compartment, but can also
be used for general organizing.
We found them to be very useful
and think they're a great addition to this compartment.
On the right hand side there is essentially a large bucket
that is ideal for packing cubes.
As with every bag, packing cubes are never essential -
but we always like to utilize them with large
clamshell compartments and would recommend that you do too.
Trakke does have their own packing cubes
that are sold additionally to the pack,
and they're made of that same orange
dry-finish waxed cotton canvas.
These packing cubes aren't the most compressible,
but they do work really well and
are incredibly water resistant too.
The final internal organization pocket
within this main compartment is cleverly tucked away
along the middle seam of the pack.
And it's a long thin zippered pocket
that is perfect for any valuables
that you'd like securely hidden away.
Every good one-bag travel pack needs a laptop compartment.
And just like the harness system on this thing,
Trakke has absolutely nailed it.
Located at the back of the pack just above the shoulder
straps, this compartment will fit
a 15 inch laptop with ease.
And with dense padding on the outside, you can be
assured that your laptop is going to be protected.
[upbeat music playing]
We've been testing the Trakke Storr for the last two months
and it's seen use in Spain and the southwest of England.
When we first got our hands on this pack
we could tell that we were really going to enjoy
putting it to the test. And it didn't disappoint.
It's tough to put into words but the waxed cotton canvas
and quality materials creates a bag that just feels great.
And so far, it has been an absolute pleasure to use.
Because of that waxed canvas exterior,
marks can appear when something rubs or catches
on the outside. But it's important to remember
that these aren't actual marks on the material -
it's just the wax. And because of the bag style,
we think it actually improves the overall look.
Trakke does sell reproofing wax if you
ever need to layer up the outside of the bag again,
which will improve it's water resistance and its durability.
In testing, the only real cons that we found with this
pack was the lack of a standardized water bottle pocket
on the side. And also the fact that when you really
fill this thing out full of stuff, the front
diagonal pocket here can be a little bit hard
to gain access to because all the room
and the space inside is compressed.
So getting your hand down is just a little bit tight.
Now depending on your use case, the severity
of these cons will differ - but we just thought
there's a couple things to be aware of from our perspective.
When it comes to durability,
the Trakke Storr doesn't mess around.
The waxed cotton canvas, YKK zips, stainless steel
and simplistic design all come together to create
a bag that is quite literally made to last a lifetime.
Trakke strive to make their bags live as long as you do,
which is quite the target. But they're certainly
giving it their best shot.
Even though we've only been testing the Trakke Storr
for around two months now, we're confident that
it's going to hold up for a lot longer than that.
And Trakke has even put their money where their mouth is
when it comes to this by offering free repairs forever.
Any company that stands behind their product
with a warranty like this is commendable,
and we're over the moon to see that Trakke
has gone down this route.
Now moving onto some pros and cons.
The Trakke Storr is super durable and made
with high quality materials.
It's perfect for minimal one-bag travel. And the
hideaway harness system works flawlessly in practice.
And we really like the way that they've
handled this design feature.
Now onto some cons. The front pocket is hard
to access when the pack is full.
We feel that load lifters would improve the overall
carry significantly. And the handles aren't the
comfiest when you have to hold them for any length of time
due to the lack of padding.
The Trakke Storr is one of the most beautifully
crafted bags we've ever tested.
And the pros heavily outweigh any
minor gripes we have with this pack.
It's hand-made in Scotland from quality materials
sourced from within the UK. And even
comes with free repairs forever.
At 30 liters, this pack is ideal for minimal one bag travel.
It looks good in many different environments
and can handle just about any adventure you throw at it.
If you're in the market for investing in a bag
that you can trust will last you a lifetime,
and maybe even a few years after that,
then the Trakke Storr is worth checking out.
Thanks for taking a look at our review of the Trakke Storr.
And we'd love to hear from you in the comments
what you think about this pack.
So make sure to leave one below.
As ever, make sure to head over to
packhacker.com/newsletter, sign up for our newsletter
and never miss an update.
Thanks for checking this one out.
We will see you in the next video.
(singing inaudibly)
Vivid orange interior.
(singing inaudibly)